


Dragoberky and Rinea

by FlamingTrashcan



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: F/M, Fluff, a little implied nsfw? but there isnt actually any, berkut experiences hormones, manakete
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 00:06:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlamingTrashcan/pseuds/FlamingTrashcan
Summary: So, one of my friends made an adorable Fantasy AU which reimagined the royals as manaketes...needless to say, we've had a lot of discussions on how it'd change everything from interactions to battles. One such was how dragons act towards their mates, or specifically, how male dragons act towards their mates. From that discussion spawned this mini fic. It's short and sweet, and mainly I just wrote it as a little present for my friend. Posting here in case anyone else wants to read it.





	Dragoberky and Rinea

“Lord Berkut requests that you visit his chambers, Lady Rinea.” The young female servant folded her hands before her and dipped her head. “He is insistent that you show.” 

Rinea raised her head, eyes still focused on the book before her. “So late at night? Is he in trouble?” 

The servant shook her head. “I do not know. But he seemed hasty. Please, do not keep him waiting.” 

Called to her fiancé’s chambers so late at night...most would take such a request with the connotation of something dirty. Berkut hadn’t tried anything on her yet, and Rinea idly wondered what she would do if he did. Certainly she could not deny him...but at the same time…

She stood and placed her book down. “Of course. Am I to be alone?” 

The servant raised her head. “Indeed. And your current attire…May I suggest something more suitable?” 

She was wearing her nightgown. The blue dress was long and flowy, adorned on the chest with white hand sewn flowers. Appearing before her fiancé in such attire...well, this was Berkut. It would do for her to be better dressed. However if this was what she thought, and haste was his request, then keeping him waiting would do her little good. 

Rinea shook her head. “I shall go as I am. Thank you for your alert.” 

The servant nodded and headed on her way, holding the door for Rinea as she put her slippers on and followed her out. From there it was a short walk to Berkut’s chambers—he’d arranged for her to live near him, if not with him, while in the castle. Normally her home was in her manor, but recent events in Zofia had left him unusually moody and oddly frantic, and his desire to keep his future bride close had led to her being pulled into his home. Still, she had her stay apart from him, since they were not yet wed. 

More than once she had been called to his chambers. Berkut, being a dragon, seemed a bit obsessive and protective, but he was always gentle and kind to her, and she rather enjoyed the attention. Frequently she would sit besides him, reading a text or sewing, and he would hold her close, sharing her warmth. But he had never called her so late. The promise it held did not sit easily in her mind. 

She arrived at his door and knocked, awaiting permission to enter. A signature growl let her know he was aware of her, followed by a low “enter”. Carefully, so as not to disturb him, she opened the door. 

Like all royalty, Berkut was fully capable of maintaining a normal human form outside of his dragon form. It was nearly impossible to tell he held the power to shift when he was in human state—the only giveaway were his ears. Instead of a curved humans, they were pointed and grooved. Between his dragon and human form, however, was yet another. They called it “half form”. In such a state his dragon traits would show, yet his body would remain mostly human. And since his dragon form was enormous, his human body would grow to accommodate it. 

She found him on his bed in such a state. He was in his half form, head lowered, claws gripping onto the soft fabric beneath him. All around him, dozen of pillows were strewn, and glittering on the ground--and the bed--were dozens of tiny stones. She heard him growl, seemingly unaware to her presence, and reach out with a trembling claw to grip one, pulling it towards him, then hurling the harmless object as if it had bit him. When the door clicked shut, he jerked up, baring his teeth and snarling aggressively. But the moment his narrowed eyes fell on her, his gaze softened, and his snarl stretched into an embarrassed smile. 

“My dearest Rinea!” He seemed to struggle with the words. “Come, sit next to me!” And he shifted to sit upright, although his newfound height caused his much larger body to take up far more space on his bed. The soft fabric had sunken deeply beneath him, and his claws had already torn quite a few marks into it..

He was 12 feet tall in his half form. Scales had grown on his neck, arms, legs, and chest, leaving only his lower pectorals and belly exposed human skin. His feet and hands had turned to draconic claws, able to rend flesh from bone with a single swipe. His double horns had sprouted from his head, though they were far shorter than when in his dragon form. Sharp fangs had replaced human teeth. And wings alongside a spiky blue tail had emerged on his back. Travelling down his spine were the spines he was so well known for. They had settled, but every time he flinched, or made a sudden movement, they raised, indicating his every movement.

She nodded and approached, finding a spot to his left and carefully seating herself. Next to her, several crumpled pillows laid.And alongside those...shreds of clothing.

The first trickle of cold fear crawled down her spine. In half form, clothes didn’t fit Berkut due to his growth spurts, and his entire body was exposed. Any clothes he was wearing at the time of transformation would tear as he grew, so he was always careful to transform with the bare minimum, should it be required. The only times he’d destroy clothing so haphazardly were times where he was strained, times of danger.

“Are you alright, my lord?” She asked, trying to read his face. Would it be wise of her to point out how tense he appeared?

His large, clawed hand was besides her, easily covering half her arm and gently pushing her into him. Below, she could hear every individual hammer of his heart—it was going wild. He’d looked away previously, but now she saw a blush spreading over his face.   
He grit his teeth, grip on her tightening. “O-of course, my dear…” The words were forced, and immediately his gaze moved to the pillows. His jaw trembled, breath quickening. “T-tell me, Rinea...are you comfortable?”

“Comfortable?” She echoed, looking at her surroundings. “Well, I suppose. But, enough of that, my lord! Are you sure you feel well? You seem troubled! May I help?”

His grip released and he stood, shakily, knocking a pillow off. “Forget...forget me...it is not to your liking…” 

Immediately he grabbed a pillow, and placed it before her. When she moved to touch it, his claw stopped her. Choosing to observe, she sat still and watched him move, arranging pillows around her. The gemstones were plucked, and placed next to her. Gradually, a ‘nest’ of sorts had formed, barrier made of pillows and bottom made of gems. He placed the last one and paused, scrutinizing it over, picking every last stray fiber away, and setting every gemstone against her. Only when the entire ‘nest’ had been remade did he calm, and straighten out, looking the contents over.

“Is there a reason for this, my lord?” She asked, leaning forward.

Berkut looked oddly conflicted. Was he sweating? She saw his jaw tremble, lips curve into a frown. His claws clicked together, tail lashed, a clear sign of agitation. And then, another strained smile. 

“Do you like it now? Are you comfortable?”

It would be better if she agreed, she figured. Something was wrong with Berkut...something that had to do with his dragon self. He was never this jerky. 

“Yes,” she responded, folding her hands in her lap and shifting position. “May I ask the purpose for this, my lord?”

He entirely ignored her question. “My dear...do you fancy gemstones? Of any type, name your size, color, shape, anything!” He suddenly dropped to his knees, claws digging into the bed . “I’ll get anything for you!”

Rinea blinked and flinched back at this sudden outburst. “B-Berkut? Where are these requests coming from? W-what is the meaning of this?”

He bared his teeth and jerked forward with a snarl. “Answer me!” But immediately, he recoiled, eyes widening with a sudden fear, and then they had squeezed shut.

She let out a scared squeak and backed away till her back hit the wall. “B-blue! In the shape of a diamond! Any size you deem necessary!”

His claws trembled, and when he finally stood he was jerkier than before--as if his movements were forced. Gradually, he made his way across the room, and she saw him duck to enter his closet. If fear hadn’t forced her back, she would’ve reached out to grab his hand...but his hands were claws, now, and the man she knew--

No! The primitive instinct of self preservation was running wild in her brain, she detected danger, danger from her own fiance. He was a dragon. She was a human. Dragons, the apex of all creatures, the ones who shaped the land and destroyed it, made man and devoured him. The creatures all men feared for good reason; the beings all men worshipped, and pledged their souls to. They should not even be around humans, their power was so great…

And here she’d gone and attracted the attention of one, the last of Rigel’s royalty outside of the emperor. Accepted his proposal, forgetting foolishly about his true nature, his true self, despite seeing it every time he ate, or fought, or growled in his sleep. Berkut was a dragon. Berkut was a danger, a danger she should flee from should she value her life.

And yet, the thought of leaving him was unbearable. 

She heard the sounds of glasslike objects clacking over each other and hitting the hard stone floor. Too afraid to try to retreat, she sunk into one of the nearby pillows, and hugged it as tightly as she could. Then, she noticed something she hadn’t before. Scattered all over the bed and pillows, which she’d originally mistaken as gemstones, were small, blue scales. Berkut’s scales. She reached down and picked one up, raising it to her face. It was still glossy, so he couldn’t have shed it. If it wasn’t shed, then he’d pulled it off...and there were many of them, scattered around her, glistening in the low light the lamp provided.

The sound of claws on stone alerted her to the reappearance of her enormous fiance. He emerged from the darkness like a Terror, a large blue stone clutched in both hands. She knit her brows and regarded him curiously as he approached, carrying it with the caution of a parent holding a newborn.

“Berkut?” She mumbled, trying to perhaps gain a bit more leverage with him. “W-when did you get that gemstone? And what are you planning to do with it?”

It was enormous, large as her head. His draconic strength let him carry it with ease. Slowly, he approached and went down on one knee, holding it forward with both of his hands.

“My...my dear...will you...accept my gemstone?” Stuttering was unusual for Berkut, raised to sound and act perfect in every way to show the exact superiority of royalty. She looked over the gemstone, eyes wide. Although he had first looked away, pink as a sunset, when she neared his eyes finally met hers. 

They were full of...worry? Doubt? And desperation. Slowly, she reached her hand out to touch the large, cold stone.

“Of course, my love,” she said endearingly. “Is this your form of a proposal? After you’ve already proposed?” She let out a playful giggle.

He frowned. “Do you...do you not like it? Why do you laugh?”

It was her turn to frown. “My lord, I am already your fiance! There is no need for you to propose twice!” Her hand slid down over his own. “No amount of jewels could buy my love for you!”

“So...you dislike it.” He growled and jerked away, and then he was gone, sorting through rarities once more. She sighed. 

“My lord!” She called out, and slowly slid off the bed. “You’ve misinterpreted it! I do love you, and I appreciate your gift!”

His horned head poked out. “Then why do you not accept it? And...you’ve left my nest!”

“I do accept it!” She stepped forward, reaching out to hug him. “I fully accept you, gemstone or not! So...whatever you think you must do to ask for my hand, cast it aside! I will love you regardless!”

Silence. For a moment, all she could hear was her own heartbeat. A wrong move around her draconic fiance, and she might end up like the creatures he so frequently devoured. But her fears were quashed when an actual, genuine smile spread across his face. One moment he was still searching for a better gemstone, and the next he was before her, huge arms wrapped around her body. 

He slipped his claw around her back and legs and picked her up, bridal style, to carry her right back to the ‘nest’ he’d made. Gingerly shifting a few pillows aside, he placed her down, and with a bit of struggle laid next to her. Gravity slid her right next to his body, though this time she was at eye level with him. The light from the lamp vanished as both large, blue wings wrapped around her, shoving the outside world away and cocooning her against his body. 

She let out a gentle laugh and pulled his enormous face closer, kissing him square on the nose. The sudden warmth beneath her lips let her know exactly how red he had turned. Her eyes opened, and she smiled warmly at him. 

A toothy smile met her own. Berkut, in this form, wasn’t a very good kisser, since his teeth usually got in the way. But Rinea could kiss him all she wanted, and there was so much more of him to love on as well! Her chance, however, faded as he spoke.

“My dear...forgive me. I didn’t mean to startle you. My instincts have worsened...I find it hard to control myself around you.” He let out a long exhale, looking down. “Even now...grr...I may once more lose myself.” The wings opened. “It may be best you flee, before that happens.”

Rinea pouted. “Lose yourself? To your instincts? I don’t see your instincts, if they caused you to do all this, causing any harm!” She paused. “But...if my lord wishes me to leave, then I will.”

“No!” His claws had grabbed her waist, securing her, and the wings were around her once more. For a moment, she saw that desperation again, but it was gone as soon as it emerged, and her Berkut was back. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

They both laid there, side by side, regarding each other. She finally broke the silence with a little laugh. “Then I would like to stay here with you.” Her hands slid onto his, and he gripped them fervently. “As long as you need me, I will be here.”

And despite her knowledge of the danger, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his own.


End file.
